With the conclusion of the 2025 NASCAR season, the official NASCAR awards have already rewarded the talents of the year. Kyle Larson, Jesse Love and Corey Heim won the main title awards, whereas Chase Elliott continued his ‘Most Popular Driver’ Award streak. But amidst these flagship categories, a lot of other interesting and important categories often go unnoticed and unspoken. Which is why Mike Bagley’s TMD Awards exist.

These are fun, fan-driven, informal awards which include categories like Finish of the Year, Most Improved Driver, Surprise of the Year, among others. Fans have to simply open an online form and fill in their votes. So let’s check the scene for this year’s categories and vote timings.

What are the categories for the NASCAR TMD awards and when can fans vote?

Bagley provided a link for fans to visit and cast their vote, and they have till Wednesday, 5 pm ET to do the same! The link describes the various categories and the nominees for each division. There is no separate segment for Cup, O’Reilly Auto Parts, or Truck Series.

With that said, here are the different categories and the nominees, starting with Finish of the Year. The options include William Byron’s second consecutive Daytona 500 win, followed by Ryan Blaney’s win at the Coke Zero Sugar 400. Also present is the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas, where Chase Elliott clinched a much-needed victory. The Phoenix Raceway has a triple nomination, which includes Christopher Bell’s three consecutive wins and the championship race, of course.

The next category is a fun one, which is the Personality of the Year. There is no doubt about Denny Hamlin being first on that list, considering the dramatic year he’s had along with that dramatic final race. It also includes Shane Van Gisbergen, the rookie who dominated the road courses single handedly and even showed progress on ovals by year-end. Other nominees are Carson Hocevar, Brendan “Butterbean” Queen, Cleetus McFarland, and the fan-favorite veteran Dale Earnhardt Jr.

The next category awards the Most Improved Driver in 2025. The nominees are Chase Briscoe, Erik Jones, John Hunter Nemechek, Josh Berry, and Ryan Preece.

Next up is the Surprise of the Year category, and surely there were many this season. From SVG’s five road course wins to Larson surprising with the title after the final pit stop, which no one saw coming, it includes some interesting options. It isn’t all happy; there were upset options too, like Kyle Busch, Ty Gibbs, and RFK Racing being winless for the season.

Finally, you have the Moment of the Year. From JRM making their Daytona 500 debut, to the infamous final pit stop at Phoenix that changed fates in the ending minutes, it has it all. Also included are Bubba Wallace’s iconic Brickyard win and San Diego’s track announcement for 2026.

So hurry up! Vote for your favorites before time’s up!

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Meanwhile, the Grand National Bash is celebrating their own way

The brainchild of Tommy Joe Martins, the Grand National Bash celebrates not the Cup but the Xfinity (O’Reilly Auto Parts) and the Truck Series. It took place at the Cain Center for the Arts in Cornelius, North Carolina.

It rewards teams, organizations, and even crew chiefs. The nominees are selected by a diverse group that includes media members, drivers, agents, and team representatives. For organizations, they’re divided into four tiers: Premier, Affiliate, Independent, and Breakout.

“Throughout my career, I’ve primarily competed with smaller organizations… I’ve often felt the effort it takes to simply participate gets overlooked and underappreciated,” said Martins about the core purpose of establishing these awards.

One of the most notable wins was JR Motorsports winning as the Premier Organization of the Year.

“It takes an incredible group of drivers, team members, and sponsors to make it all possible. Thank you to the [Grand Bash] and the voting committee on this great honor!” the team posted on X.